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One in seven adults worried about becoming homeless during pandemic, survey finds
More than six million adults in England are worried about becoming homeless as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey by housing charity Shelter has revealed.
A poll of 3,603 people, carried out by YouGov, found that 14% of respondents were worried about becoming homeless because of the economic situation created by the COVID-19 crisis.
Private renters were the group most likely to have concerns about becoming homeless, with 27% now fearing losing their home.
Almost half (47%) of private renters said the COVID-19 pandemic has made them feel more anxious or depressed about their housing situation compared to 26% of the general public.
Shelter’s research also found that 24% of private renters have had to borrow money to pay their rent in the past month, while 18% have cut back on food and 12% have cut back on heating their home to pay their rent.
It comes shortly after the government announced that it was extending the ban on bailiff-led evictions until the end of May this year.
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Under the ban, landlords can still serve eviction notices and eviction cases are still heard in courts, but bailiffs have been ordered not to carry out any of these evictions.
Groups representing landlords and tenants have called on the government to provide greater financial support for renters, arguing that the ban on evictions does nothing to solve the large level of rent debt some renters have accrued.
Shelter said the amount of calls taken by its free housing advice helpline has doubled during the pandemic. The charity has had to take on 26 new housing advisors to cope with the demand.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Through our helpline we have seen just how scared people are about their homes and their futures. People’s lives are literally on the line. They are desperately struggling, and the threat of homelessness is very real.
“At Shelter we are working hard to keep people safe in their homes. Thanks to the generous support of the public and our partners we have been able to answer double the number of calls, but we need to keep this up if we are going to weather the coming storm. To make sure we can always be on the other end of the line, we’re asking the public to support our appeal.”
Darren Baxter, housing policy and partnerships manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “These findings highlight the appalling toll the pandemic is having on the mental health of private renters, a group that have been hit hard over the last year.
“The chancellor remained silent on support for rent arrears in the Budget, instead freezing housing benefit levels and prioritising policies that will maintain high house prices. We are now really concerned that the temporary eviction ban is the only dam holding back a flood of evictions, and that once it is removed in May we will see a wave of repossessions and a surge in homelessness.”
A government spokesperson said: “We’ve put households at the heart of our decision-making throughout the pandemic, with an unprecedented £352bn package keeping millions in work and temporarily bolstering the welfare safety net by more than £1,000 a year for families most in need.
“Robust protections remain – with longer notice periods of six months and the banning of bailiff enforcement of evictions for all but the most serious cases until 31 May – councils can also provide support through the £180m Discretionary Housing Scheme.”
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